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Thy Cæfar knighted me; my youth I spent
Much under him: of him I gather'd honour,
Which he to feek of me again perforce, (27)

(27)

Of him I gather'd Honour ;
Which he to feek of me again perforce,
Behoves me keep at Variance.]

This is Senfe, but it is one of thofe Sophiftications of the Text, which
Mr. Pope, notwithstanding his Affertions to the contrary, has obtruded
upon us, without any Countenance or Authority from the old Books.
And why, forfooth, but because he did not understand the genuine
Reading? All the Copies, that I have feen, read;

Behoves me keep at Utt'rance.

i. e. at all Hazards, at the utmoft Extremity of Peril.

Utterance,

Extremity; fays the old Gloffary to CHAUCER: So, in a Poem prefix'd to that Poet's Works, and addrefs'd to the King and Knights of the Garter;

Ye Lordis eke, fhining in noble Fame,

To which appropred is the Maintenance
Of Chrift'is Caufe, in honour of his Name,
Shove on, and put his Foes to Utteraunce.

i. e. Extremity, utter Deftruction. So in the Three Sieges of Troy, printed by Winken de Werde;

His Dolour and Pain grew and enlarged to the Utterance.

So Sir Robert Dimock, the Champion at K. Richard the 3d's Coronation, made Proclamation, as Holing head tells us ;

Whoever shall fay, that King Richard is not lawful King, I will fight with him at the Utterance.

i. e. to the Hazard of Death. So, likewife, elsewhere in our own Author;

But he has a Merit

To choak it in the Utterance.

Coriol.

i. e. in the extreameft Point.

Rather than fo, come Fate into the Lift,

And challenge me to th' Utt'rance.

Macb.

i. e. to the utmost Peril, Death it felf. And our Author frequently gives us the fame Image, with a Variation in the Expreffion.

There I throw my Gage,

To prove it on Thee to th' extreamest Point

Of mortal Breathing.

Richard zd.

Troil. and Crefs.

For I will throw my Glove to Death himself:

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Behooves me keep at utterance. I am perfect, (28)
That the Pannonians and Dalmatians, for

Their Liberties, are now in arms: a Precedent
Which, not to read, would fhew the Britains cold:
So Cæfar fhall not find them.

Luc. Let proof speak.

Clot. His Majefty bids you welcome. Make paftime with us a day or two, or longer: if you feek us af terwards on other terms, you thall find us in our faltwater girdle: if you beat us out of it, it is yours: if you fall in the adventure, our crows fhall fare the bet ter for you; and there's an end.

(28)

I am perfect,

That the Pannonians and Dalmatians, for
Their Liberties, are now in Arms.]

This Circumftance is again repeated afterwards by a Roman Senator in

this Act.

This is the Tenour of the Emp'rour's Writ;

That fince the Common Men are now in Action
'Gainft the Pannonians and Dalmatians, &c.

From this Particularity we may precifely fix the fuppos'd Date of this War on Britaine, for the Recovery of Tribute in Arrear to Rome; and, at one View, fee, how our Author has jumbled Facts against the known Tenour of Chronology. In the 10th Year after the Affaffination of Julius Cæfar, (Anno U. C. 719) Auguftus had a defign of making a Descent on Britaine: but was diverted from it by an Infurrection of the Pannonians and Dalmatians, in order to shake off their Subjection to Rome. Now this Period of Time was coincident with the 13th Year of Tenantius's Reign, who was the Father of Cymbeline: and Tenantius reign'd 9 Years after this.

Again, we find, from the very opening of our Play, that Cymbeline had been at least 23 Years on the Throne: for it was twenty Years fince his two Sons were ftoln, and the eldest of them then was at least 3 Years Old. Now the 23d of Cymbeline falls in with the 42d of Auguftus, the very Year in which Chrift was born. So that our Author has confufedly blended Facts at 32 Years diftance from each Other. Whether he was aware of, or neglected, this Difcordance in Time, it has contributed to another Abfurdity. It is faid more than once in our Play, That the Remembrance of the Romans is yet fresh in the Britains, Grief: i. e. that they ftill felt the fmart of their Overthrow. Now Julius Cæfar fubdued Britaine, 11 Years before his Affaffination, in the Year of Rome 698. This War on Cymbeline cannot be before the 42d Year of Auguftus: (U. C. 751) fo that here is an Interval of 53 Years, a Time fufficient to erase the Memory of the most dreadful Enemy; especially in a People, who are boafting of the ftrength they have acquir'd fince their Defeat.

CC 4

Luc.

Luc. So, Sir.

Cym. I know your master's pleasure, and he mine: All the Remain is, Welcome.

Enter Pifanio, reading a Letter.

[Exeunt.

Pif. How? of adultery? wherefore write you not,
What monsters have accus'd her? Leonatus!
Oh mafter, what a strange infection

Is fall'n into thy car? what falfe Italian,
(As pois'nous-tongu'd, as handed) hath prevail'd
On thy too ready Hearing!-Difloyal? no,
She's punish'd for her truth; and undergoes
More Goddefs-like, than wife-like, fuch affaults
As would take in fome virtue. Oh, my mafter!
Thy mind to her is now as low, as were
Thy fortunes. How? that I fhould murther her?
Upon the love and truth and vows, which I
Have made to thy Command!

blood!

If it be fo to do good fervice, never

I, her!

Let me be counted ferviceable. How look I,
That I fhould feem to lack humanity,

So much as this fact comes to? Do't

her

the letter, [Reading.

That I have fent her, by her own command
Shall give thee opportunity.-Damn'd paper!
Black as the ink that's on thee: fenfelefs bauble!
Art thou a fœdarie for this act, and look'st
So virgin-like without? Lo, here she comes.

Enter Imogen.

I'm ignorant in what I am commanded.
Imo. How now, Pifanio?

Pif. Madam, here is a letter from my lord.
Imo. Who! thy lord? that is my lord Leonatus:
Oh, learn'd, indeed, were that aftronomer,
That knew the stars, as I his characters:
He'd lay the Future open.

You good Gods,
Let what is here contain'd relish of love,
my lord's health, of his content;

Of

(yet not

That

That we two are afunder; let that grieve him!
Some griefs are medicinable; that is one of them, (29)
For it doth phyfick love;) of his content,

All but in that. Good wax, thy leave.- Bleft be
You bees, that make these locks of counfel! Lovers,
And men in dang'rous bonds, pray not alike.
Though forfeitures you caft in prison, yet

You clasp young Cupid's tables: good news, Gods!

[Reading. JUSTICE, and your father's wrath, should be take

me in his Dominion, could not be fo cruel to me; but you, oh the dearest of creatures, would even renew me with your eyes. Take notice, that I am in Cambria, at Milford-Haven; what your own love will out of this advise you, follow. So, he wishes you all happiness, that remains loyal to his vow, and your increafing in love;

Leonatus Pofthumus.

Oh, for a horfe with wings! hear'ft thou, Pifanio?
He is at Milford-Haven: read and tell me
How far 'tis thither. If one of mean affairs
May plod it in a week, why may not I

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(29) Some Griefs are medicinable, that is one of them, For it doth phyfick Love of his Content,

All but in That.]

Thus Mr. Pope has widely pointed this Paffage in his 4to Edition of our Poet: by which it is demonftrable, he did not understand it. If ·Grief phyficks Love of his Content, then it purges his Content away, which is by no means our Author's meaning. All the Editions have confounded the Senfe by a bad Pointing: I have reform'd the whole Context; and will fubjoin a fhort Paraphrafe by way of Explanation. Imogen, before fhe opens the Letter, prays, that the Contents of it may fhew that her Lord ftill loves her; that he is in Health; and that "he taftes Content. Yet (fays the, as it were correcting herself;) let him not taste a full and abfolute Content; let it give him fome Grief that "Fate has divided him and me; for that's a Grief, which will be me"dicinable, will exercife and fupport his Love: but in ev'ry other "Circumftance let him enjoy Content at Heart." I gave this Explanation, and reform'd the Pointing, in the Appendix to my SHAKESPEARE reflor'd; and Mr. Pope has vouchfai'd to embrace my Correction in his laft Edition.

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Glide thither in a day? then, true Pifanio,
Who long'ft like me to fee thy lord, who long'ft,
(Oh, let me bate) but not like me; yet long'ft,
But in a fainter kind

oh, not like me;

For mine's beyond, beyond Say, and speak thick;
Love's counfellor fhould fill the bores of Hearing
To th' fmoth'ring of the Senfehow far it is
To this fame blefed Milford: and, by th' way,
Tell me how Wales was made fo happy, as
T'inherit fuch a haven. But, first of all,
How may we teal from hence? and for the
That we shall make in time,
Till our return, t'excufe-
Why fhould excufe be born,
We'll talk of that hereafter.
How many score of miles may we well ride
"Twixt hour and hour?

gap from our hence going but first, how get hence? or ere-begot? Pr'ythee, fpeak,

Pif. One score 'twixt fun and fun,

Madam, 's enough for you: and too much too.
Imo. Why, one that rode to's execution, man,
Could never go fo flow: I've heard of riding wagers,
Where horses have been nimbler than the fands
That run i'th' clock's behalf. But this is fool'ry.
Go bid my woman feign a fickness, fay

She'll home t' her father; and provide me, present,
A riding fuit, no costlier than would fit

A Franklin's housewife.

Pif. Madam, you'd beft confider.

Imo. I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here, (30)

(30) I fee before me, Man, nor here, nor here,

Nor what enfaes; but have a Fog in them,

That I cannot look thro'.]

Nor

Where is the Subftantive, to which this Relative plural, them, can poffibly have any Reference? There is None; and the Senfe, as well as Grammar, is defective. I have ventur'd to restore, against the Authority of the printed Copies,

but have a Fog in Ken,

That I cannot look thro. Imogen would fay, "Don't talk of confidering, Man; I neither fee prefent Events, nor Confequences; but am in a Mist of Fortune, "and refolv'd to proceed on the Project determin'd. In Ken, means,

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